AIM-120 missiles: how Ukraine’s F-16s, NASAMS counter air, missile threats

Content

1. What is the AIM-120

2. AIM-120 and Ukraine’s Air Defense

3. AIM-120 and Ukraine’s F-16s

4. Technical characteristics of the AIM-120C-5

5. Key facts about the AIM-120

6. AIM-120 missiles in Ukraine

What is the AIM-120

The AIM-120 AMRAAM is an American all-weather, medium-range, air-to-air guided missile. Missiles of this class are designed to engage aerial targets beyond the line of sight. The maximum launch range varies from 50 to 180 km, depending on the modification.

AMRAAM is the primary weapon of F-15C, F-15E, F-16, F/A-18C/D, F/A-18E/F, and F-22 fighter jets. Various versions of the AIM-120 are also used as the main missile for the NASAMS air defense system, which is in service in Ukraine.

The name AMRAAM reflects the missile's characteristics. The abbreviation stands for Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile.

The missile was originally produced by Hughes Aircraft and Raytheon. After Hughes was acquired, Raytheon became the sole manufacturer.

The AIM-120 missile is designed with an aerodynamic X-configuration for its wing and control surfaces. Its body is divided into three sections: the front, warhead, and tail compartments. The exterior is coated with a special gray paint that withstands significant kinetic heating.

The front section houses the guidance and control system, including the radome, active radar seeker, control unit, inertial navigation system, and proximity fuse. The active radar seeker operates in the same X-band frequency as the carrier aircraft’s radar, with a target acquisition range of approximately 16–18 km. The warhead compartment is integrated into the missile body, and the AIM-120A is equipped with a fragmentation warhead with pre-formed fragments for directional detonation.

For long-range engagements, the missile initially relies on inertial navigation and mid-course updates from the carrier aircraft. In the final stage, once the target is within the seeker’s range, the AMRAAM switches to autonomous homing.

AIM-120 and Ukraine’s Air Defense

The AIM-120 missile is used in the Norwegian-American NASAMS air defense system, which Ukraine has been operating since November 2022. NASAMS is praised for its mobility and high accuracy, with an 85% success rate in intercepting targets. Each NASAMS launcher holds six missiles, and a battery of 9 to 12 launchers can fire 54 to 72 missiles within 12 seconds.

"The first generation of the system (NASAMS-1) used the most advanced AIM-120A missiles of that time, providing a range of up to 25 km and an altitude reach of 14–15 km. Currently, the system can use newer AMRAAM variants, including longer-range missiles. There is also a modernized launcher variant capable of firing long-, medium-, and short-range missiles simultaneously," reports Militarnyi.

The launcher is transported by a truck but is deployed on the ground at the firing position. Missile loading is carried out using a reloading vehicle that is part of the system.

In just the first five months of operation in Ukraine, NASAMS systems destroyed over 100 targets. Ukraine’s air defense command has expressed interest in replacing outdated Buk-M1 systems with the modern NASAMS armed with AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles.

AIM-120 and Ukraine’s F-16s

The "firecrackers" are also actively used by the F-16 fighter jets in service with Ukraine. Typically, the F-16 Fighting Falcon uses short-range AIM-9 missiles for close combat and medium-range AIM-120 missiles for intercepting enemy targets beyond visual range.

"As for the AIM-120 missile, its technical and dimensional capabilities allow it to be used against targets in maneuvering combat, but it is still more suitable for launches at short to medium distances," writes military analyst Roman Prykhodko.

He describes the effective launch range of 50 km as small, suggesting that Ukrainian fighters will not have many opportunities to shoot down Russian aircraft beyond the line of combat. In the context of missile use in Ukraine, the primary targets will be cruise missiles and drones.

Regarding tactics, Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, mentioned in an interview with The Guardian that F-16s should stay at least 40 km away from the front line to avoid being shot down by the Russians. Defense Express calls this restriction significant but clarifies that the capabilities of the fighters will depend on the modifications of the missiles with which the F-16s are equipped. In 2023, the then spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, Yuriy Ihnat, expressed confidence that AMRAAM missiles would reach Russian aviation, even if Ukrainian planes did not enter the target zone.

As for the modifications of the AIM-120 missiles supplied to Ukraine, it is clear that various versions are involved - there is no current shortage of Slammers. Specifically, The Wall Street Journal reported the transfer of AIM-120C-8 missiles to Ukraine. For reference, the cost of such a missile for the U.S. military was $1.4 million, while Lithuania purchased them at nearly double the price - $2.7 million each.

Technical characteristics of the AIM-120C-5

• Length – 3.65 m
• Diameter – 0.18 m
• Wingspan – 0.45 m
• Launch weight – 161.5 kg
• Warhead – 18 kg
• Maximum speed – 4 Mach (almost 5000 km/h)
• Maximum range – 105 km

Key facts about the AIM-120

Experts point out a common mistake made when discussing AIM-120 missiles. The declared maximum flight range should not be confused with the actual effective range. The effective range is influenced by many factors, such as altitude and speed (both of launch and target), course, maneuverability, and more.

For example, while the maximum launch range of the AIM-120C-5 missile is up to 105 km, the maximum effective launch range is 50 km, and the recommended launch range is only 16 km.

Moreover, although these missiles work on the "fire-and-forget" principle, it doesn't mean they require no "illumination" from the aircraft. Without guidance from the fighter, the missile can only be directed to the estimated intercept point with the enemy aircraft, and the target can evade it through maneuvering or speed changes. For more effective use of the missile, flight correction is necessary. However, at the final stage, the active homing head significantly increases the probability of a hit.

AIM-120 missiles in Ukraine

In the fall of 2024, the U.S. government signed a contract with RTX (Raytheon) for the supply of AIM-120 missiles worth $1.15 billion (831 missiles). This order is the largest in Raytheon's history, as reported by Defense Express. A significant portion of this order will be exported, including to Ukraine.

Analysts agree that the AIM-120 is a far more effective weapon than the Soviet R-27. The American missiles have better software and more precise flight trajectories.

However, the "fire-and-forget" principle is unlikely to be fully applicable in the war against Russia. It is effective in close-range combat up to 10 km, but Ukrainian and Russian aircraft rarely engage at such short distances. When fired at longer ranges, the missile loses energy in the final phase, giving the enemy aircraft a greater chance of evading the strike.

Nevertheless, the AIM-120 is seen as a powerful enhancement to Ukraine's defense capabilities.

"AMRAAM missiles have proven to be among the most modern and effective projectiles of their kind," writes ArmyInform.